Julie Hesmondhalgh

Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2000/nov/28/tvandradio.television4 |title=Answer me: Getting personal with ... Hayley Cropper |first=Samantha |last=Gillings |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 November 2000 |access-date=3 February 2012}} was born in Accrington, Lancashire. She applied to drama school aged 18, and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from 1988{{cite web |url=http://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/we-talk-to-julie-hesmondhalgh/ |title=We talk to Julie Hesmondhalgh |date=2015-06-17 |website=Northern Life Magazine |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-01-08}} to 1991.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

Upon finishing her training, Hesmondhalgh was a part of Arts Threshold, a small independent theatre in London, for several years, and worked with Rufus Norris in his directorial debut.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In the 1990s she appeared in such television dramas as The Bill,{{Cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381420/|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh|website=IMDb|access-date=2020-01-08}}{{better source|date=September 2024}} Catherine Cookson's The Dwelling Place,{{Citation|title=The Dwelling Place|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211801/|access-date=2020-01-08}}{{better source|date=September 2024}} and in the Victoria Wood comedic television movie Pat and Margaret.{{Cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/fifteen-things-you-might-not-6529504|title=Fifteen things to know about Julie Hesmondhalgh - Corrie's Hayley Cropper|last=Britton|first=Paul|date=2014-01-20|website=men|access-date=2020-01-08}}

In the 1990s, Hesmondhalgh appeared in such television dramas as The Bill,{{Cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381420/|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh|website=IMDb|access-date=2020-01-08}}{{better source|date=September 2024}} Catherine Cookson's The Dwelling Place,{{Citation|title=The Dwelling Place|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211801/|access-date=2020-01-08}}{{better source|date=September 2024}} and in the Victoria Wood comedic television movie Pat and Margaret.{{Cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/fifteen-things-you-might-not-6529504|title=Fifteen things to know about Julie Hesmondhalgh - Corrie's Hayley Cropper|last=Britton|first=Paul|date=2014-01-20|website=men|access-date=2020-01-08}}

She is best known for playing Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.{{Cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381420/|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh|website=IMDb|access-date=2020-03-18}} Making her debut appearance on the show in January 1998, she played the first transgender character in a British soap opera.{{cite web |url=http://www.albertatrans.org/history.shtml |year=2007 |title=Transgender: A History |work=AlbertaTrans.org |access-date=16 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026103058/http://www.albertatrans.org/history.shtml |archive-date=26 October 2008 }} She took maternity leave from the soap between 2000 and 2001 and later decided to take another break for a year in order to spend more time with her family, leaving in October 2007 and returning in 17 November 2008.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

Hesmondhalgh's character Hayley was involved in high-profile storylines, including one concerning a gender transition, and a hostage storyline in the Underworld factory in which Hayley and Carla Connor (Alison King) were kidnapped, bound and gagged by rogue businessman Tony Gordon, who intended to murder them. They escaped unharmed, although Tony was killed in the ensuing explosion.{{cn|date=September 2024}} On 11 January 2013, ITV announced that Hesmondhalgh would be leaving Coronation Street in January 2014 after 15 years on the show, and that her character Hayley was to leave in a controversial right-to-die storyline, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.{{cite web |url=http://www.itv.com/coronationstreet/news/julie-hesmondhalgh-to-leave/ |title=Goodbye Hayley |work=ITV |date=17 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117054023/http://www.itv.com/coronationstreet/news/julie-hesmondhalgh-to-leave/ |archive-date=17 January 2013}} Hesmondhalgh filmed her final scenes on 18 November 2013; they were broadcast on 22 January 2014, the night she won a National Television Award for Best Performance in a Serial Drama, which she shared with her longtime co-star, David Neilson.{{cn|date=September 2024}} Over 10 million viewers tuned in to Hayley's final episode, in which she ended her life. She worked with pancreatic cancer charities to raise awareness of the disease, and was involved in a petition and attended a parliamentary debate on the subject in 2014.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

On 24 December 2011, Hesmondhalgh appeared on ITV's The Cube, winning £20,000 for her Accrington-based anti-poverty charity, Maundy Relief.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

From 22 January 2015, she played the role of Cleo Whitaker in the Channel 4 drama series Cucumber, written by Russell T Davies.{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/julie-hesmondhalgh-films-new-drama-7260760|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh all smiles as she films new drama Cucumber in Manchester|first=Dianne|last=Bourne|date=12 June 2014|newspaper=Manchester Evening News}} She also appeared in the BBC Four film Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, a television film about the murder of Sophie Lancaster. Hesmondhalgh played the role of Sophie's mother, Sylvia Lancaster, a role which she previously portrayed on stage. Hesmondhalgh is friends with Sylvia Lancaster and patron of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. In 2015, Hesmondhalgh won a Royal Television Society Award for Best Female Actor in a Drama for her role as Sylvia.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

Also in 2015, Hesmondhalgh appeared in an episode of the BBC drama Moving On, with Shane Richie and John Thomson, as well as one episode of Inside No. 9, written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In 2016, Hesmondhalgh joined the cast of acclaimed drama thriller Happy Valley for its second series on BBC One. She was offered the role by creator, writer and executive producer Sally Wainwright. Hesmondhalgh's character Amanda Wadsworth is a midwife and working mother from Yorkshire who has a fraught relationship with her husband, John (Kevin Doyle).{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/happyvalley2/julie-hesmondhalgh|title=Interview with Julie Hesmondhalgh|work=bbc.co.uk|publisher=BBC Press Office|date=19 January 2015|access-date=4 February 2015}}

In 2017, Hesmondhalgh played the role of rape victim Trish in the third and final series of Broadchurch on ITV.{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/new-cast-members-broadchurch-3-announced-ahead-filming-final-series|title=New cast members for Broadchurch 3 announced ahead of filming of the final series |date=12 April 2016 |work=ITV}}

She appeared as a guest star in the Doctor Who episode "Kerblam!".{{cite web|last=Tobin|first=Christian|title=Doctor Who series 11 episodes 7 and 8 feature the galaxy's biggest shop and 17th century witch trials|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/news/a869947/doctor-who-season-11-episode-7-8-titles-synopsis-kerblam-the-witchfinders/|website=Digital Spy|date=4 November 2018}}

In 2019, Hesmondhalgh played Amanda in the first episode of the final season of Channel 4's Catastrophe with Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan.{{Citation|title=Catastrophe (TV Series 2015–2019) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4374208/fullcredits|access-date=2020-03-18}} She appeared in the six-part ITV comedy drama The Trouble with Maggie Cole, with Dawn French, in 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-03-11/the-trouble-with-maggie-cole-itv-air-date-time/|title=When is Dawn French's The Trouble with Maggie Cole on TV?|date=22 November 2020|first=Eleanor Bley |last=Griffiths|website=Radio Times |access-date=2020-03-18}} Also in 2020, Hesmondhalgh played Heather in the third series of The A Word.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In May 2021, Hesmondhalgh played Nancy in the BBC1 series The Pact, alongside Laura Fraser, Rakie Ayola, Eiry Thomas, Aneurin Barnard and Jason Hughes. The series, set in Wales, was written by Pete McTighe.{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-pact-release-date-bbc/|title=The Pact release date: Cast, plot and latest news for the BBC drama|work=Radio Times|date=5 May 2021|access-date=18 May 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/tv/the-pact-review-e2-80-93-wales-e2-80-99s-big-little-lies-will-have-you-on-tenterhooks/ar-BB1gQ9A1?ocid=BingNewsSearch|title=The Pact review – Wales's Big Little Lies will have you on tenterhooks|last=Nicholson|first=Rebecca|work=The Guardian|date=5 May 2021|access-date=18 May 2021}}

In 2021, Hesmondhalgh began narrating the revival of The Weakest Link, taking over from Jon Briggs.{{Cite web|title=Who is The Weakest Link voiceover? |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/the-weakest-link-voiceover/|access-date=2021-12-19|website=Radio Times}}

In January 2024, she starred as Suzanne Sercombe, wife of subpostmaster Alan Bates, the main character in the ITV1 drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which was based on true events surrounding the British Post Office scandal.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-itv-b2465992.html|title='We all secretly think they're spinning it out so everyone dies before they get their money': Inside Mr Bates vs the Post Office|website=Independent|last=Harrison|first=Ellie|date=1 January 2024|access-date=1 January 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/01/mr-bates-vs-post-office-tells-true-story-post-office-scandal-20030162/|title='I'm the real Mr Bates – my battle against the Post Office isn't over yet'|website=Metro|last=Willix|first=Pierra|date=1 January 2024|access-date=1 January 2024}}

On finishing her training in the 1990s, Hesmondhalgh was a part of Arts Threshold, a small independent theatre in London, for several years, and worked with Rufus Norris in his directorial debut.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

From 19–29 September 2012, Hesmondhalgh appeared at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, portraying Sylvia Lancaster in Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster opposite Rachel Austin. The play was based on the real-life story of Sylvia's late daughter, Sophie Lancaster. Hesmondhalgh won a Manchester Theatre Award for Best Studio Performance in 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/person/julie-hesmondhalgh|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh|date=2017-08-31|website=Royal Television Society|access-date=2020-03-18}}

On 23 January 2014, she returned to the Royal Exchange Theatre for her first role since leaving Coronation Street, in the Simon Stephens play Blindsided, which ran until 15 February that year. From 12 November to 20 December 2014, she appeared in God Bless The Child at the Royal Court Theatre in London, directed by Vicky Featherstone, playing Mrs Bradley, with Amanda Abbington.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In January 2016, she played Vivian Bearing, an American Professor of Poetry dying of ovarian cancer, in Margaret Edson's Wit at The Royal Exchange main stage, directed by Raz Shaw, for which she was nominated for a TMA and won a Manchester Theatre Award for Best Actress.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39303556|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh: Actress wins award double for theatre and politics|last=Youngs|first=Ian|work=BBC News|date=17 March 2017|accessdate=5 July 2017}}

On 30 April 2017, Hesmondhalgh starred in a one-off performance at the Royal Court Theatre, of Lemn Sissay's The Report, directed by John E. McGrath.{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/news-lemm-sissay-royal-court-report_43325.html |work=Whats on Stage |title=Julie Hesmondhalgh to read Lemn Sissay's The Report at the Royal Court |first=Daisy |last=Bowie-Sell|date=7 April 2017 |access-date=27 October 2017}}

In February 2018, she starred as Renee in The Almighty Sometimes by Kendall Feaver. It was directed by Katy Rudd at the Royal Exchange.{{Cite web |url=https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/the-almighty-sometimes-content-warning|title=The Almighty Sometimes-Content warning & spoiler alert|website=www.royalexchange.co.uk|access-date=2020-03-19}}

In February 2019, she performed the title role in Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, adapted by Anna Jordan. It was directed by Amy Hodge at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.{{Cite news|last=Love|first=Catherine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/feb/14/mother-courage-and-her-children-review-julie-hesmondhalgh-royal-exchange-manchester-anna-jordan-brecht|title=Mother Courage and Her Children review – Julie Hesmondhalgh is the business|date=2019-02-14|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-03-19|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}

In June 2015, Hesmondhalgh performed a script-in-hand scratch performance of her first one-woman play, These I Love, at Gulliver's in Manchester.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In 2019 Methuen Drama published her Working Diary as part of their Theatre Makers series.{{Cite book|last=Hesmondhalgh, Julie|title=Julie Hesmondhalgh : a working diary|date=10 January 2019|isbn=978-1-350-02569-1|location=London|oclc=1023607207}}

She is a founder member of a Manchester-based grassroots theatre collective creating work about social issues, Take Back, which she runs with Rebekah Harrison and Grant Archer, and to which she has contributed as a writer and actor.

She is also a member of The Gap collective, a writing company in Manchester. She is a supporter of Arts Emergency and a mentor with the National Youth Theatre.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

Hesmondhalgh is a Labour Party member.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2017/may/09/broadchurch-actor-introduces-jeremy-corbyn-at-labour-campaign-launch-video|title=Broadchurch actor introduces Jeremy Corbyn at Labour campaign launch – video|date=9 May 2017|access-date=14 June 2017|newspaper=The Guardian}} In August 2015, she endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. She tweeted: "Proudly supporting Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest."{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/juliehes/status/610462225279655936|title=Proudly supporting Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest.|last=Hesmondhalgh|first=Julie|date=15 August 2015|publisher=Twitter|access-date=15 July 2017}} She campaigned for Corbyn as party leader in the 2017 UK general election. In May 2017, speaking at Labour's general election campaign launch in Manchester, she said: "I realised the Labour party and its core values would finally be in line with my own deeply held socialist beliefs about equality, justice and peace."{{cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/who-celebrities-voting-general-election-10546843|title=Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh backs Jeremy Corbyn in tub-thumping speech saying he'll make Britain 'give a toss'|last1=Bloom|first1=Dan|date=9 May 2017|access-date=14 June 2017|newspaper=Daily Mirror|last2=Milne|first2=Oliver}}

On 1 May 2013, Hesmondhalgh appeared on ITV game show All Star Mr & Mrs with husband Ian, and won £20,000 for Maundy Relief.{{Citation|title=All Star Mr & Mrs (TV Series 2008– ) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219862/fullcredits|access-date=2020-03-18}}

Hesmondhalgh is a patron of the following organisations: Trans Media Watch,{{cite web |url=http://www.transmediawatch.org/supporters.html|year=2011|title=Trans Media Watch – Supporters|work=Trans Media Watch|access-date=12 November 2011|archive-date=15 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015211041/http://www.transmediawatch.org/supporters.html|url-status=dead}} Maundy Relief, Marple Drama, WAST, Manchester People's Assembly, Reuben's Retreat, The Alex Williams Believe and Achieve Trust, and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation (for whom she and Ian held a creative writing competition in schools across the North West in 2011). The latter organisation was set up following the murder of Sophie Lancaster.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In 2019, she set up the group 500 Acts of Kindness,{{Cite web|url=https://www.niafisher.com/fishing-for-the-truth-videos/julie-hesmondhalgh-500-acts-of-kindness|title=500 Acts of Kindness- In conversation with Julie Hesmondhalgh|website=Nia Fisher|date=7 December 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-19}} a fundraising community in which 500 members donate a pound a week to give to an individual, group, family or organisation in need.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180206152017/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bb1a5a469 Julie Hesmondhalgh] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}

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Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century English actresses

Category:21st-century English actresses

Category:People from Accrington

Category:Actresses from Lancashire

Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

Category:British LGBTQ rights activists

Category:British Soap Award for Best Actress winners

Category:English humanists

Category:English soap opera actresses

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Category:Labour Party (UK) people